In Shining Armor
by TalysAlankil
Summary: On the road to the frontlines of her country, Oracle Naminé is ambushed by the Remnant Empire's forces, and rescued by an amnesiac knight. Continuation of the same AU as "Kiss Me Once, Kiss Me Twice" but mostly standalone


When the first arrow flew, Naminé followed her knight servant's command, turned her chocobo around and rode as far away from the ambush as she could, as fast as her chocobo could manage on this treacherous forest road.

It was all she could do not to panic, her thoughts flashing to the sight of the scribe whose throat had caught the arrow. An arrow meant for _her_, Oracle Naminé, de facto leader of the independent nation-state of Oblivion.

That the empire had managed to send a scouting party past the frontlines wasn't, in and of itself, a surprise. She may have only been the sitting Oracle for two years, but she still knew no border was ever truly impervious to enemy incursions. More surprising was that that force had found _her_. The entire point of taking this route was to allow her to reach the frontline safely, and yet their stratagem had been foiled. Worse, with no way to call for help, this ambush could secure a decisive victory for the Remnant Empire.

The whistle of another arrow past her head alerted her that someone was giving chase. Lowering herself on her chocobo's back, Naminé pressed her steed just a bit more, gritting her teeth and hoping for the best until she reached the next bend in the road. There, when she thought she was out of sight, she dismounted, leaping off the chocobo's back and unlatching her weapon from its holster on the saddle.

The Oracle's Trident shone in the sunlight, vibrant with power under Naminé's fingers—but not the kind of power one could use in battle. Still, it _was_ a weapon, and one Naminé knew how to use. Even if she'd never wielded it in a battle for her own life until now.

She stood under the cover of the trees in ambush, cursing on the inside at her impractical dress. Still, when she heard chocobo footsteps approaching, she didn't hesitate to leap out and swipe at the bird's legs, sending the Imperial soldier toppling down and holding her trident against his throat.

What she hadn't expected were the two additional soldiers who came right after the first one. In her surprise, she froze, and the soldier she held at her mercy sung his sword against the trident's shaft, knocking it out of her grasp.

"My Lady," one of the other soldiers said as he dismounted. The third soldier held a crossbow aimed at her, the threat clear without needing to voice it. "If you'd be so kind as to come with us."

Naminé scoffed. "What's the point? Just kill me now and be done with it."

"And let another Oracle rise in your stead? I have my orders, my Lady. Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be."

Being a hostage, a pawn used by the Empire to subjugate her home, was no better than being dead. From the tip of her fingers, she could feel the Trident's power calling to her. If she focused, she could call it back to her…and then what? _Die fighting_, she thought bitterly, thinking of Ren. That seemed like the sort of thing her knight servant would say. Assuming he hadn't done that himself just now; a dreadful possibility, if these soldiers had been able to go after her.

Just when she summoned the power coursing through her veins, however, the soldier holding the crossbow let out a gargled cry of agony, and slid off his saddle. A moment later, a woman emerged from behind his chocobo, her armor bearing the crest of Oblivion, and dashed towards the soldier who had spoken. His sword met hers, and Naminé felt the power each blade had been imbued with—the knight's astral magic, the soldier's imperial Magitek—in the shockwave the blow sent through the air.

They traded two more blows when the third soldier got back on his feet. At first Naminé thought he would attempt to take on the knight with his fellow soldier; when he stepped towards her, however, and drew a knife, she realized his intent was to end the fight in quite another way.

_I won't allow it_. She let power fly from her fingers, and the Oracle's Trident flew towards her extended hand. The soldier gaped at her, stunned, but Naminé didn't hesitate this time: she jabbed the trident forward, the prongs piercing through his armor as if it had been made of the same silk as Naminé's dress. For a moment, the soldiers remained immobile, barely letting out a gasp; then he fell to his knees, his eyes glazing over. Naminé could feel a rush of heat through the Trident as it drank from his blood; she knew that would happen, but she couldn't help but shudder at the sensation.

Dazed, it took her a few seconds to make herself pull her weapon out and turn to the other fight. Though as it turned out, it was already over: the knight stood over the body of the fallen Imperial soldier.

Naminé inspected her closer. She had short black hair, and a youthful face that belied the ferocity with which she'd been fighting just moments ago. Above all, what caught Naminé's attention was the stark blue of her eyes, looking jarringly familiar. And yet, she didn't know this knight—even if she wore her colors.

"Th-thank you," she mumbled.

The knight gave a sharp nod. "I thought you might use the help." Her tone was simple and matter-of-fact, and she didn't use any honorifics, taking Naminé aback. Had she not recognized her Oracle? Yet she had to admit there was something appealing about that simplicity.

"If I may ask—to whom do I owe my rescue?"

"Want to know what name you'll be whispering tonight?" the knight said with a sly grin. When she noticed Naminé's dismay, her grin faded. "Kidding. Unless you want to, I mean."

"I—" Words escaped Naminé's brain, and her cheeks started to burn. She cleared her throat. "I only wanted to know who to thank."

The knight's face grew more somber. "Well…I don't actually know."

"You—"

"No memories. Woke up a few days ago in a village not far from here with this armor and this…ring."

"Oh." Naminé stared at her curiously, and stepped forward, closing the distance between them. "May I see it? The ring? Maybe I'll recognize it."

The knight frowned and recoiled slightly, so Naminé waited patiently to let her decide. Finally, she unclasped the gorget of her armor, and from under it, fished out a ring hanging from a leather cord around her neck.

When she saw it, something seized in Naminé's chest and her eyes widened. "This is—" It was a traditional wedding ring, passed in the family of Naminé's chief advisor, and had gone missing two years ago, along with…She looked upon the kight's face again. Those eyes, that hair, so familiar…it _had_ to be her. "Xion?" she said.

"You know me?" Hope shone in her eyes.

"I know your brother." Naminé had never met Vanitas's sister, but she couldn't forget his worry for her, unflinching for all of Naminé's time as Oracle. "He's at the capital. You know the way?"

"I do." Still, she shook her head. "But I'm not leaving you here alone."

Relief flooded through Naminé. "My party was attacked, further down the road. We were going to the frontline."

Xion nodded, sheathing her sword. "Then we'll find out what happened to them together, and get you safely to your destination." She held out a gauntleted hand. "Oh, I never asked _your_ name."

"It's—" Naminé bit her intended words back—the litany of titles she usually gave. "Naminé," she said, taking the offered hand. "And—" She managed a thin smile. "I would thank you now, but I'm sure I can find a more appropriate way to do so later."

Xion smiled back at her. "I'll make a note of it."


End file.
